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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27999621">Fate/Sundered Destinies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manawing/pseuds/Manawing'>Manawing</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fate/stay night &amp; Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night - All Media Types, ロード・エルメロイⅡ世の事件簿 - 三田誠 | Lord El-Melloi II Case Files - Sanda Makoto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Multi, Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:14:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,520</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27999621</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manawing/pseuds/Manawing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Holy Grail War. Thought to have been resolved and dismantled after the Fourth Fuyuki War, word is spreading of a new war brewing. New faces participate for the chance to have their wish granted, along with one familiar face fighting for a dear friend's honor.</p><p>Featuring Waver Velvet as one Main Character, with many cameos from the existing franchise. A new Holy Grail War largely focused upon the Masters and Servants participating. Meant to be set in the same universe as Case Files and Unlimited Blade Works, and narratively inspired by Zero.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The bell struck midnight, and the world changing event began with no hesitation.<br/>
<br/>
Weapons clashed just outside what was the Sanctuary. A woman holding a large lance in each hand, neither weapon meant to be held by one hand, but the woman was showing herculean might. Her armor was royal, dark, and overbearing. It gave her a tyrannical appearance with its scaled, spiky appearance. The lances were white and black color schemed, appearing opposites of each other aesthetically. Yet, they appeared twins.<br/>
<br/>
The other side, a man with dark hair, purple in color, and dark in his armor, wielding a blade of regal and powerful bearing. He was incredibly handsome, and confident even despite being shrugged off so easily by the woman who was, in fact, taller than he was. His height was not small, it just went to show that the woman was aberrant in height. Despite wielding one much smaller weapon, he would flurry his strikes and find every one matched in strength and speed by the woman’s two lances. She put on a mocking, snide grin, condescending to the knight, though he kept up an offense. Watching all this was a priest from the front doors to her cathedral.<br/>
<br/>
The role of the Overseer was to Observe, not to partake. Though apparently there were shameful instances where Overseers would either participate or collude with participants, this priest had no such thoughts or desires. The assignment was seen as an honor to her, who had heard stories of the past in these events. This event of course being the Holy Grail War.<br/>
This Holy Grail was not the genuine chalice of biblical origin that was being fought for. If it was, the Church would send much more than someone to simply observe. This was a device created by mages for a purpose unknown to common folk among other mages. The Moonlit World, the dark side of the world where mages and fantastical creatures existed, was kept a secret from society, but even to that world the Holy Grail War was more of a myth.<br/>
<br/>
Supposedly the Grail Wars had ended for sometime but it appeared someone made a new one. The young overseer looked over the fight, despite her skill she was unable to fully make out all their movements, such was their agility. And there was so much going on, the knight assaulting the woman with what appeared to be excessive force would be shrugged off like a child. There was no point watching the scene. Her head turned to the two siblings sitting beside her. The boy looked so incredibly… done. The woman was talking his ear off. They appeared related by blood but who knew what was actually the case. The Overseer could recognize the woman’s face. The boy, despite being related, was an unknown person to the Overseer until tonight. She wouldn’t dare underestimate either though, if they were to start trouble. A premonition told her that would be a fatal error.<br/>
<br/>
She looked back to the field of battle where the scene continued to take place. They did not seem to have much care for time or place. The sanctuary was supposed to be a haven for Masters whose Servants had fallen, yet they fought the moment the war had an official, though arbitrary, start time just outside that area. In honesty the priest’s ability to stop those monstrous figures was limited, but luckily they were respecting a good distance, even if they weren’t respecting her wishes for a peaceful front yard.<br/>
<br/>
Masters are the mages that the Holy Grail designates to fight for its favor in the name of having a wish granted should they be victorious. To aid them in such an endeavor, the Grail grants each Master a Servant. These Servants are various figures of history and folklore given a spiritual body and summoned to life again to participate in combat, similarly so that they might be granted a wish if victorious. In order to win the war, six servants must be slain, the Master’s life irrelevant, though to keep loose ends tied or to be used to defeat the servant the Master’s life will end up forfeit more often than not if they cannot reach the sanctuary. The Holy Grail chooses a total of seven of these mages to fight for it, in some cases choosing non mages to fill the ranks. The Church then sees over the affair and makes sure things are kept as fair as a war can be, and offers the sanctuary for Fallen Masters. Additionally, they cover up for any major accidents during the war, to preserve the secrecy of Magecraft, and the Moonlit World.<br/>
<br/>
Here, on this night, the war had begun in earnest, with many onlookers watching as the two powerhouses battled on, a war between seven Masters and Servants, all with their own ideals and wishes, clashing on the battlefield of England, with the whole magical world watching for its outcome.<br/>
<br/>
Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, Berserker. Only one would be able to find victory in this battle royale. Each with their own agenda to fulfill, that could only be achieved by squandering the dreams of the others. Marked with Command Seals that designated them as the owner of their servant, each Master would walk into this hell that England would become.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 1 - Elenaria</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>A month before the war, a girl with black hair was sleeping in a complete mess. Her sheets were tossed about the bed and her clothes tossed about her room. The small mess of a room was indicative of nothing, however. This was a penthouse room in a luxury hotel in London. This woman was the world famed singer Elenaria Zan. As she rolled over in her bed, the sigil on her hand would become visible. Red marks in a strange shape tattooed on her body. Command Seals. </span><span><br/></span> <span>She awoke with little ceremony and got just dressed enough to be considered decent as she wandered the penthouse in search of sustenance.</span><span><br/></span> <span>‘Nothing to eat in this house…’ she thought, while perusing the large amount of leftovers and perfectly eatable food in the refrigerator. She was tall for a woman, but didn’t break six feet. Elenaria had peculiar eyes in color, being a bloody red, that stood out with her black hair and pale skin. Pulling some eggs out, she began cooking her own meal. The famous singer was a disorganized mess and a slob, what would her fans think? It was not until now that she noticed the markings on her hand. “The hell are these?” she said aloud, too tired to process exactly what was happening. She had plenty of people she could ask about it after breakfast. Food first, voodoo later.</span><span><br/></span> <span>After a delicious meal of surprisingly well made eggs, the girl did know how to make herself a meal, she rang up the Mage’s Association. The girl was indeed a Mage, with powerful magecraft that affected the mind. She was in fact, considered an incredibly dangerous mage with the lack of control and open power she held. Her adoring fans were manipulated into thinking she was the greatest musician who ever lived. She was not bad, by any means, but she was not the best either.</span><span><br/></span> <span>To her surprise, there was no answer. The spoiled rich girl didn’t take kindly to that at all, and got ready to go give them a piece of her mind. Going back into her room she grabbed a set of fresh clothes, sweatpants and a sweatshirt, both incredibly baggy to keep herself hidden. With her magecraft she would start a flash mob if recognized. The inconspicuous wear would help her move over to the Clock Tower largely in secret, but she kept herself well equipped. She worked with the Association when needed but the Moonlit World was not kind. </span><span><br/></span> <span>It was only a bit of a walk from the hotel. The luxurious hotel was taken out entirely in her name and she used it like her own home, with everyone there waiting on her every, incredibly random need. It was her workshop, her home, and her fortress. Onwards, she moved into the Clock Tower and smiled upon seeing a face she recognized. That face upon seeing her smile, scowled. </span><span><br/></span> <span>“Bossman!” she exclaimed. The one she addressed was a man of decent height with long hair and tired eyes, and seemed to have a permanent scowl. He was well dressed, and seemed more displeased than normal to see her.</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Address me as teacher, Elenaria. And you dropped out. What are you here for this time?” Waver Velvet, Lord El-Melloi II, responded.</span><span><br/></span> <span>The woman waved her hand in the air. “What are these?” She asked nonchalantly. “Am I cursed or something? You can trace that back right? I can take care of the rest. And you know I can pay you whatever you want for the service.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>The moment she flashed her Command Seals, a look of shock and alarm passed through his eyes. He knew his ex student however, and her more honest, if blunt attitude. “Come with me, and do not show those to anyone else.” He led the way to his study, letting the woman follow him. She skipped along without a care in the world, enjoying going down these old halls.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span> <span>Once the door was shut, a bounded field was placed, to keep prying eyes out. Though some would try peeking, all they would know was that something was being hidden. And he would likely be pestered about it later. “Honestly, what a drag…” he sighed and took a seat on his couch, gesturing to her to sit on the couch opposite the table. She took a seat on top of the couch, crossing her legs and putting her feet on the seat cushions. </span><span><br/></span> <span>“So, what’s up with the formality and secrecy. Is it that bad?” She asked. As a prolific mage Elenaria wouldn’t be surprised that a powerful mage was targeting her, but she was surprised her teacher couldn’t help if that was the case.</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Those are Command Seals, Elenaria.” Was all he needed to say. There was a hint of hopelessness in his eyes, as he effectively was sending the girl to war. In contrast, the girl’s eyes lit up. </span><span><br/></span> <span>“No way! I thought those were just fairy tales, you are telling me I get to participate? Oh this is going to make a great album, I know it!” Her sour mood of earlier was gone, she flipped like a light switch.</span><span><br/></span> <span>“This isn’t anything to celebr-” the teacher did not get to finish his statement. The girl took off her sweatshirt in front him and he averted his eyes. She began tying it around her waist, and asked without hesitation. </span><span><br/></span> <span>“I need to make the proper preparations for this. Going in and dying right away won’t make a good song.” She stuck her hand out, and an ancient rock, that appeared to be a tablet with no writing appeared. Her ring was a Mystic Code used for storage, wrapped around her middle finger on her left hand. “I can use this as a catalyst probably, I can guess its origins. Can you spare me some assistance with the formalities?” She asked offhandedly, seeming to be lost in thought. Elenaria was planning already.</span><span><br/></span> <span>Waver was defeated at first. But he accepted this rather readily. While she was a loose cannon, she still gave this the seriousness it deserved. It was just that to her losing likely didn’t even cross her mind. “I will do what I can on my end. We likely shouldn’t see each other again though, contact me by email if you must.” This was the first he heard of it, and the other Lords needed to hear of it as well. There were a few steps that needed to go on behind the scenes, he assumed this was what the singer required of him. He put down the field, figuring that he would be hearing of this nonsense soon enough. Elenaria smiled and gave a wave. She booked it out of the room, not caring who caught her out and about now.</span></p>
<p>
  <span>---</span>
</p>
<p><span>Elenaria went home and began her studying for the event upcoming. She only knew the barebones from what her teacher once told her. The Holy Grail War wasn’t actually a fight for the holy object, but rather a ritual among Mages. The ritual selected seven participants, known as Masters, to fight in a battle royale for supremacy. The victor of this ritual would receive the Holy Grail, which was rumored to be an omnipotent wish granting device. </span><span><br/></span> <span>Looking further into it, she could find the finer details. The Masters selected were usually Mages of high standing, though in some cases those outside of the known would be selected as well to fill in the ranks. They would be marked for their participation with Command Seals upon their body, something like a tattoo with a large amount of mana filled within.</span><span><br/></span> <span>“A cup has the presence of mind to select people worthy of it? I can understand how it fills the ranks if it really is a system but how does it know to select powerful mages… there must be more criteria not listed.” Elenaria thought aloud, continuing her research into the subject.</span><span><br/></span> <span>To aid in the coming combat, the Masters are given the ability to summon a Heroic Spirit, otherwise known as a Servant. Some may dismiss them as a Familiar, as the concept for summoning one is the same, however these Heroic Spirits are far more powerful than that. If a Magus were to be compared to a trained, elite soldier, a Servant could be considered to have the power of a nuclear warhead. These Heroic Spirits are beings of myth and folklore, history and legend, participating under the same aims of the Master. That aim of course, being a wish upon the device.</span><span><br/></span> <span>“And to summon one of choosing…” She looked onward. To summon a Servant, one should use a catalyst. This would be an object related to, or relic directly used by, the Servant wanted to be summoned. Should a relic not be used, the Grail itself summons a Servant it deems suitable to the summoner. “Here it goes again making decisions that shouldn’t be possible for a set system.. I would love to chat with the person that came up with this.” She sighed, grinning as she read on. Despite her talk with herself implying she was annoyed, this all was quite amusing to her. She looked over to the tablet she pulled out of her storage ring. It would work as a catalyst, probably. She had a curiosity upon it once and knew who was likely to come forth.</span><span><br/></span> <span>The Heroic Spirits summoned are placed into vessels that reflect their abilities in life. These vessels are classified as classes: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, Berserker. If a Servant fulfills the requirements for multiple classes, they are given abilities to reflect the class they are put into. “Wouldn’t it be odd if the same Servant was summoned in the same war under different classes?” She thought aloud once more. Only one of each class was summoned. Servants would generally go by their summoned class name rather than their True Name. One’s True Name would be to know them, they are legends who are extremely well known after all. With that name, an enemy could know what strengths to be wary of, and what weaknesses to exploit. And, additionally…</span><span><br/></span> <span>Every Servant is armed with a Noble Phantasm. This is a culmination of a Hero’s deeds and works in life, what they are known for. It can manifest as an attack, a magecraft, or in any other number of ways. It is a pair’s greatest trump card in a war, but is incredibly defining of the Hero using it. To give the name of one’s Noble Phantasm is as revealing as saying their True Name aloud.</span><span><br/></span> <span>Elenaria pulled herself from her studies and began whipping up something to eat. All in all, she could see why she was selected, but also had questions about how she was selected. After all, the Zan family was a prestigious family of assassins, rather than mages. However, they were well incorporated in such arts, but her older brother inherited the family crest. While the Zan sister was quite gifted in her own rights, and believed herself to be one of the greatest if not the greatest in her field, she knew her family still had great talents better suited for war. Perhaps their ambition was lacking? Elenaria simply thought once more how much she wanted to meet the creator of this system.</span><span></span><br/></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Merry Christmas everyone~ I am almost done prewriting chapters so that I can do regular uploads. Expect the next chapter at New Year's then another one every week after. </p>
<p>I guess I should make a habit of doing something creative here, if I am going to do one of these every time. Don't forget to like and subsc- this isn't youtube, nor is that creative. </p>
<p>Remember to do something nice for someone every day. Could make that person's day. <br/>Happy Holidays~ -Manawing</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 2 - Alfred</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Elsewhere in England, a pair of red eyes matching Elenaria’s could be seen in the darkness of a room. A single window illuminates the room that was well kept, minus the bed. There were various collectibles from various anime that could be seen with a passing glance, and in the bed a boy played his games. He had distinctly black hair, and paler skin. This was Alfred Zan. He turned off his system and stretched as he left his bed, his body extremely toned despite his skinnier physique. Putting on a shirt that matched the style of his room and jeans, he went out into the massive home seemingly kept for him alone.<br/>	Homunculi maids were the boys sole company here, a building kept out of public eye. He reached out to one of his maids who fitted a glove over his right hand. Before the glove was placed, a passing glance could see a distinct red tattoo upon it. The maids were quiet, simply dressed, and seemed to not care for speech. Alfred was less eccentric than his sister, and stayed silent when dealing with them as well. It filled the large, more or less populated building with an awkwardness.<br/>	If I instilled them with voice commands, would this be less… monotone? He thought to himself. He would put that in the project works. With one hand gloved, he waved his hand and a homunculus began work on a meal. With a gesture of his little finger, another came close. On his other hand he moved his index finger in a wagging gesture, and another homunculus descended into storage. Yeah, we should do that. He enjoyed playing maestro at home but voice commands would be cooler, he thought.<br/>	To him, the homunculi were as usable as a familiar, but more dear to him than family. He clicked his tongue at the thought of family. His father was a traditionalist dullard who would have given his inheritance to his sister were she born moments earlier. His mother was a pawn that went with the father’s every wish. His sister… Actually, he had no qualms with his sister on a personal level, though when they were young her overbearing attitude led to his reclusive nature. In short, the worst thing she did was be annoying. He knew full well her leaving was a move on his father’s part, and she could find her music any time online. What a wonderful world of technology.<br/>	As the meal was completed, the homunculus sent away returned. In their arms was something of an engraved tablet. Though if one were to be honest, it seemed more like a hunk of rock with some etchings upon it. Upon it were not runes, but letters that would not be known to common languages. Even if one knew more exotic languages, they likely still would not recognize it. He would gesture the homunculus away and enjoy the meal put before him.<br/>	Not one to waste his time, Alfred picked himself up after eating and gave a more dramatic wave of his arm. Almost at once, every homunculus assembled in the grandiose entranceway of this building. He went out and stood before them. Twenty-four servants that he commanded wordlessly around the building. Internally he thought of how stupid that arm wave looked, and made it more of a priority to train them in voice commands. More than his sister, he seemed already quite prepared for the coming battle. The home of his was a castle on the outskirts of London, and each of these homunculi were his assistants. His eyes, his ears, his arms. Each one of them had a designation that kept him close to them even through this long silence.<br/>	He gave each one their orders silently before returning inside, the lot of them going about various wordless orders. He ran his ungloved hand over the stone, and sighed. I might be rolling a lottery with this catalyst, but no matter what I stand to win a grand prize. The boy kept a poker face and icy glare that was contrast to his red eyes. After all, a piece of the Round Table could only summon one type of Heroic Spirit. Even if he didn’t summon the King of Knights, he would summon a knight worthy of being his compatriot, no? He would begin making the circle in the entrance room for his summoning. Homunculi would aid him in bringing the materials, making for a much larger than necessary summoning circle. Even if there was no merit to using so much material, he had the wealth to spare. Alfred saw that there was nothing saying that a large circle wouldn’t result in a larger summoning. Perhaps a dragon could be summoned with a larger circle and the proper catalyst. The rules of the Holy Grail War were too unknown to the large populace.<br/>	Once the circle was complete, he would begin verbally training the maids. He was delaying the summoning on what was in his mind, tactical reasoning. There was no way the Clock Tower would not notice a Heroic Spirit summoned on their doorstep in London. And he could not be the first their eyes looked to, if he wanted a snowball’s chance in hell of winning this war. To that end, he wanted to place a few calls. He knew more than most as to the state of things, but Alfred was far from having all the answers. And while he was a force to be reckoned with, he couldn’t guarantee coming out unscathed if he entered direct conflict with the Lords of the tower. <br/>	He dialed a number and held his phone to his ear. After a few rings, there was no answer, which he expected. He would leave this call with a message in their voicemail box. “Meet me at the church in a month.” His voice wasn’t deep, nor cold as his exterior was. It was surprisingly normal, all in all. “Bring a friend.” With that nondescript message, he ended that call and rang up a new number in his phone. This time it was answered, on the first ring no less. The line was silent however. And it remained this way, a decent while.<br/>	“Look, one of us needs to say something first.” He caved and spoke.<br/>	“You have work for me. You speak.” A female voice responded.<br/>	“How much do you know about the Holy Grail?” he asked.<br/>	“A holy artifact that in the biblical record was a chalice that Jesus put his blood into. In Arthurian Myth it was an object searched for by many of the Round Table, and as far as I recall found by Galahad. Currently, I believe the relic to be in the possession of the Holy Church. Whether it is a genuine article, I am uncertain.” The girl replied in erudite, yet deadpan fashion.<br/>	“Great. You know I am not wasting your time on a history lesson. The other Holy Grail.” Alfred rolled his red eyes at what he believed to be the girl’s attempt at sarcasm.<br/>	“You are still at your place in London? We can meet up there. I am guessing you want more secrecy than that? I will contact you when I am in the city.” The line ended there. She didn’t even wait for him to answer.<br/>	Alfred was fine without the small talk. Fellow assassins need few words between each other to get the job done. He pocketed his phone and looked over his work behind him. Truly, it was a spectacle of a summoning circle, the finest silver melted down for use in this intricate drawing. It would be a pain to clean up if he didn’t have so many extra hands.<br/>	He walked down the hallways. Filled with magical traps, hardly any of the rooms were used on the second floor other than his bedroom. This was a fortress of one, a dungeon that he was master of. He looked into his bedroom once he reached it. It would be awhile before he got back to that game. He closed the room and placed a magical seal upon it. Should this fortress fall, they would not get to his collections here. They still ran the risk of being destroyed entirely, but that was somehow preferable to Alfred. With that taken care of, he had war preparation to get to.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Happy New Year~ So I noticed based on the last chapter that these notes stack? I can figure out how to make it cleaner. Hope you enjoy~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 3 - Waver</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Waver took a great sigh. That girl was too reckless for her own good. Here he was a couple days later in an emergency meeting for the Clock Tower. Normally, Reines would sit in for him on these formalities, as he was more a Lord of the tower in name only. She asked him to sit in as well this time, and he was quite easily able to figure out why. Elenaria speaking so freely of the Grail War in the Clock Tower, where eyes and ears were always vigilant, drew quite the attention. It was disturbing all in all. This ritual drew quite a bit of interest, but for it to happen where she noticed it before anyone else should have been an impossibility.<br/>
Lord El Melloi II took another sigh as he stepped into the meeting room. All the Lords were gathered. In his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if his mentor had to sit in this meeting the last time a Grail War was happening that the Tower involved itself in. The Fourth Fuyuki Grail War was where his predecessor died. He too, participated in that war, and attempted to join the Fifth as well. Eventually, he relented and did not participate, though he had the pleasure to meet the winner of the previous. Or it should be said, the survivors. That Grail was corrupted beyond a point of no return, and disabled by him and the Tohsaka heir. Entirely dismantled. So there was no doubt in his mind that this was a new Grail.<br/>
He had been teaching at the Tower and doing odd jobs, solving cases and doing favors to repay a crippling debt. And his students were quickly growing as valuable gems in the mage community, even if his class was considered oddballs at best. He peered over to Reines, a scowl on his face.<br/>
“What is it? Don’t tell me you are unhappy to see me, elder brother.” She teased at him, a sly grin across her face, and a condescending look in her eye. This was the true successor to his mentor. Kayneth El Melloi Archibald III was the Lord previously in his position, and his mentor. It was at Reines’ request that he took the position and his classroom at the tower and became a Lord. A job he felt unsuited for, but repeatedly demonstrated his ability to keep the seat. Reines, in turn, would inherit the position from him when she came of age. Though, it seemed she simply would do it whenever she wanted to, as she was rather whimsical.<br/>
“It is not that. Though this is rather uncomfortable…” he lamented. All eyes were on him in this room. He could make a single leap of logic to figure out why, though it was rather unreasonable of them. With his deductions made, he took a seat next to Reines.<br/>
“Yes, I do wish they could restrain themselves however slightly.” She noted each person in the room’s expression. Her autonomous maid stood behind her, as it always did. Metallic in skin tone and wearing a french maid dress, it was what one could call a perfect offense and defense. Despite an autopsy, one still couldn’t find out how it was breached during the Grail War where the previous El Melloi fell.<br/>
An old man with tinted glasses waved his hand once and drew everyone’s attention from the young Lord. “It seems everyone is here, in one way or another.” Indeed, some of the seats had familiars sitting in them. One couldn’t expect to gather all of the most powerful mages in the Tower on a whim. “Let us begin this meeting with the topic on everyone’s minds. The Holy Grail War.” There was silence in the room. Eyes once again looked over to Waver, but then returned to the speaker. “It was brought to our attention that the ritual was taking place again. When we sent an investigation team over to Fuyuki, they found nothing special. When the team returned to the tower, however, the leylines were indeed being rechanneled to the ritual.”<br/>
Everyone in the room was able to deduce what that meant. Now there was muttering amongst the members. “Oh?” exclaimed Waver. Reines stifled a laugh herself. London would be the location for the Grail War. “I heard that a war was brewing again, but I find it hard to believe no one in this room had any knowledge of it until now.” Waver knew Elenaria was gifted but that was only in her own field, which most certainly was not in far eastern rituals. That she found the war and obtained command seals before anyone else should not have happened.<br/>
“It is true that we noticed the tampering beforehand, but connecting the dots was another matter.” Someone at the table spoke up. It was the old man again. He was the head of Spiritual Evocation, Rocco Belfeban.<br/>
“I suppose a disturbance in the magical energy could be attributed to any number of things. Did we find out anything else?” Waver asked.<br/>
“We sent for the Tohsakas, Einzberns, and Matous, but we have yet to receive a response from them. That said, none of them have any motive for going to war with us directly, so we sent for them more to gather information on the system that they first created at least.”<br/>
“True, they have no motive for such a bold move.”<br/>
“As we did for the Fuyuki war however, I feel we must put forward a player in this war. After all, even if it is a sham, such a device falling into the wrong hands has proved catastrophic before.” There was nodding in agreement around the table. “To that end, we have elected you to fill this seat, Lord El Melloi II.” All eyes looked at him once more, with various intent. Greed, pity, disdain, none of these fellows had good intentions for Waver.<br/>
Waver was a bit shocked. He fought rather hard to get a spot in the Fifth Holy Grail War only to relinquish it in the end, yet now it was being handed to him? “I may need time to think on this,” he said to the table. He knew that this was hardly a request, but an order. But ignoring the expectant stares, he closed his eyes and went into thought. Indeed, this was a chance to fulfill his wish, but the strings attached were innumerable. The other Lords feared ending up as his predecessor did. Death was less what they feared, but their crests being destroyed was an unimaginable fate worse than death. And with his prior experience, he was a safe bet for at least surviving the war, if not winning the ultimate prize. “What support can I expect?” He asked. Normally the Clock Tower kept its nose largely out of the war after putting up a representative. This time however, the war was on their doorstep. It was almost like a challenge to them directly. Them minding their own business was an insult to their honor by this point.<br/>
“While largely at the surface, we will help you on only the basic level. In reality, we will be supporting you to the utmost to ensure that secrecy is maintained. We cannot let the general public know this war is happening. To this end, you will be receiving the full backing of the Tower. Do not expect us to fight your battles, but expect us to do everything else you might need.”<br/>
This was the best answer Waver Velvet could have hoped for. “And what of the Grail? If I am going to participate, it will be to win. I assume you wouldn’t offer me all this support only to let me have all the spoils.”<br/>
“To be honest, your character is in line to a degree with the entire Clock Tower. We feel that you can handle it responsibly, if it is the genuine wish granter.” There were whispers. It seemed that, on this, the Tower was not unanimous. Waver sighed once more. “I accept. I will begin my work immediately.”<br/>
Reines had a devilish smile, while the rest of the table had a more relaxed smile. “Normally, we would help to prepare you a catalyst. However…” Rocco trailed off.<br/>
“No need.” Waver stepped out of the room. “I will ensure to not stain the honor of the El-Melloi name.”</p>
<p>	---</p>
<p>	Waver stepped briskly into the hall where a hooded girl waited for him. “Ah, sir. Is there a new case?” Gray asked, with a voice as soft as snow.<br/>
“We are going to be preparing for the Holy Grail War. Gray, can I count on you?” He asked her.<br/>
There was a short pause. “Yes, sir.” She answered readily. She would follow him anywhere to keep him safe.<br/>
“Good. We will begin making preparations now.” He led the way to the library. There was something nagging him in the back of his mind, and he wanted to resolve it quickly now. Gray followed behind him closely, ready to assist with whatever may come their way.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am sorry, I know it is late qwq The next chapter will be out same time as usual</p>
<p>Gotta think of something clever to say still... uh...</p>
<p>Gray is really hecking adorable.<br/>Serious note of it though I wasn't too sure about using canon characters in a spinoff. Not really sure I can do her or Waver justice. But if I am going to set this war where I did, the Clock Tower was going to step in and I couldn't think of an alternative to it. So pardon as I try my best on this one. Mana out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 4 - Ignia</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In a small townhouse outside the hustle and bustle of London, a girl was doing physical conditioning. Ignia was quite the powerhouse, lifting herself up and down on a pullup bar. One wouldn’t first notice this girl’s physical prowess, however. Her hair was far more eye catching. It seemed to have a life all its own, the colors within it ever changing. It was like fire itself. A look into her eyes would reveal the same spark, orange yellow and red mixing and swirling in waves. Fire was the element this girl was born to and fit to the letter.<br/>	Dropping herself from the bar, she sprinted on out of the house and began a run. The scenery was peaceful and spacious, and over the hill one could see the city. She was running well beyond what could be considered normal human speed, maintaining this agility perfectly. Her breathing was steady, sweat worked up as she went, dripping down her skin. Noticeable upon her hand was a red marking. Command Seals. The long country roads stretched, on and on endlessly, without another soul in sight. Maguses tended to prefer seclusion so this was somewhat natural, yet Ignia was far from the traditionalist reasoning. Her innate fire attribute manifesting in her eyes and hair stood out too greatly in the normal world for her to have a semblance of a life outside the Moonlit World. Truly, her fire was one that blazed down everything in its path, physical and metaphorical.<br/>	After finishing her run, she sat herself down in a chair, retrieving a ready towel and looking on the mark. She knew what they were, but hadn’t the foggiest why she had them. The marks were reminiscent of a hand mirror, with three distinct shapes forming the frame, the glass, and the handle.<br/>	After studying them briefly, she stood up to take a hot shower, pondering the possibilities. Ignia Carroll was a Mage with a decently long lineage, but better known for what they did outside the magical world. Her ancestor’s documentation of Alice Liddell’s journey through Wonderland. Ignia did not have the same vision that Lewis did, however her magical talent was very real, as was her bloodline. Stepping out of the shower and getting dressed, she let out a content sigh. A wish granting device? She couldn’t think of anything she needed out of it. Though the battle maniac was itching for the chance to show the magical world what she had.<br/>	Can the Grail detect such thoughts? She couldn’t help but wonder. With no aspiring wish other than a grand fight, was she really worthy? It was no difference to her, now. She was chosen, and would play her part. Ignia was indeed a Magus. Unorthodox as she was, physical combat was something taught at the Clock Tower now as part of its main curriculum. She rolled her shoulders and began leafing through books. Slowly. And eventually tossed one aside. A defeated groan came from her as she flopped back on the couch. Ignia was not the studious type, hence her being detached from the Mage’s Association currently. Her research was simplified to a science. She only could get behind it if it had to do with fire. She even had to keep her impulses to burn everything under control through excessive workout.<br/>	Her eyes darted over to a desk that was much better kept than the rest of the room. If everything else was considered a disaster, that desk was the eye of the storm. That will work for a catalyst. She grinned, and stretched. She reached over to the desk, disturbing it for the first time in what must have been many years. Inside was a typewritten stack of papers. Alice in Wonderland. By Lewis Carroll. This was the original text that he originally considered giving to the true Alice Liddell. She wasn’t sure if his Alice or the real Alice would be summoned as a Heroic Spirit. Hell, Ignia was not even sure if it would work at all. But she would definitely make an attempt. Still, not now. The war was likely a decent time away, though she would summon soon. Sitting down, still wet from her shower but drying rather quickly, she began to read through the tale that she was far more entertained by. Steam rose from her body while she dried, it seemed that Ignia had a natural heat to her body as well.<br/>	Her chair tilted back onto its back legs as she leaned back. The fantastical tale had even more magical elements in the original script. It seemed to be more of a documentary of a journey than a nonsensical dream. As a matter of fact, the ending that led so many critics to believe it was a dream wasn’t in the original script. Here, Alice never left the rabbit hole to tell her Mother of what she saw. The misadventure continued for a little longer but didn’t have an ending written. Ignia had read it before and had her own theory. Though, if she summoned Alice, then the answer would come to her soon enough.<br/>	She put on some music, a song by Ellylen. A musical artist that was rather popular with teenagers particularly, but Ignia found herself enjoying her music too. With the music now on, she attempted to read up and study on the Grail War some more. The chant was way too stiff for her for summoning a servant, and she didn’t have the funds to gather these materials quietly for a summoning. Ignia raised an eyebrow when she saw that altering the chant was possible. And the materials for the summoning ritual. “Then what the hell does matter then?!” she exclaimed and tossed the book again. Seemed that none of this had any set rules. Running her hand through her blazing hair, her mood calmed while listening to the music. Taking a step outside, she began another run, more purposefully. She was running nowhere in particular, but she took out a cell phone while running and made a call. The line was picked up rather quickly. “Hey, Usa-” the line then cut out. “Bitch!” <br/>	Ignia was easily infuriated. She doubled her speed, and made a few laps of the large open area. She calmed down after awhile and checked the phone again. No missed calls, it seemed that her friend didn’t want to talk. I wonder what she is up to..</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Here I go uploading regularly. Hope you all enjoy introductions because it feels like I am typing up that one hour first episode of Fate Zero here. So many people to introduce and hopefully you can get as attached to them as others. Pretty sure Ignia alone could bring the age rating for this entire work alone if I were to play them fully to the character, so we are just gonna not bring things there.<br/>Now, something witty. I have a graveyard for a backyard, its kinda neat. It is fenced in. People are dying to get in. Manawing out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 5 - Usagi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Usagi Yuki was a ninja. Specifically, she was part of a clan that descended from the legendary Yuki-onna. A mythological being in its own right, the clan was entirely dedicated to the use of arts dedicated to her name. Yet, the Yuki-onna was becoming less known by the year. Even now, many don’t know her legend, or have forgotten it. It was a delicate balance. Magic lost its power when there was less Mystery, yet her legend needed to be maintained, which meant that it needed to be brought to the public eye again. The issue vexed Usagi greatly.<br/>	That is, until the Holy Grail War rumors began circling. A wish that would be granted through a ritual. It was a little too good to be true. Yet, if her clan would gain honor and prestige again through winning it, and be able to wish for the power their distant ancestor had. She would step into such a trap many times over. She had been consulting with her father, the elder of the Yuki clan, when her phone rang. She fumbled with the device she was unfamiliar with using and answered the call. Then ended it while fumbling. Entirely accidentally. The phone stopped ringing though, so she figured the device was appeased?<br/>	“You truly were raised far from society.” Her father chuckled seeing the teenage girl so unfamiliar with a basic phone. He had visited the main cities and seen so many girls attached to their phones more than conversing with those next to them. It was refreshing. “It is one reason why I am a decent bit concerned with your request, Usagi.”<br/>	“Yet I must go. No one else is better suited.”<br/>	“True. My injuries would not allow me to participate in such an event. And you have long since bested your peers and shown you are ready for high rank missions.” Alas, the age where ninjas were necessary was fading. Assassinations were nearly the only job they were needed. Subterfuge and espionage was helpful, but done with the aid of technology. They were relegated to effective uselessness. However, they preserved their way of life and arts similar to how Mages continued to battle technology. “Do you believe you can win?” He asked.<br/>	“Even if I cannot, there is no greater stage to show that we still exist, Father.” Usagi was firm. Despite her clumsy display a moment ago, she was an extremely able individual. “I simply need one word from you and I will go and achieve glory.”<br/>	“You are far too serious about this. Even if our legend dies out we still have another hundred or so years until such a fate would come to pass.” And, even then, they wouldn’t disappear, they would just lose the use of their mystic arts. But he wouldn’t say it aloud. That fate was worse to his serious daughter. “But, I know I cannot stop you.” The man had a terribly wounded leg, to the point that he had likely not left his chair in some time. Yet the power he exuded was very real. Likely, the entire hidden village was protected by him from this one seat of power, though he could not leave it. But for all his power, he was a father. A good one at that. He wouldn’t use that might to trap his daughter when she only had good intentions. “Visit our brother clan on your way there. They will be able to equip you with what we cannot.”<br/>	“I will not let anyone down, father.”<br/>	“Tell them that I am wanting that favor returned. They will treat you well.”<br/>	“Understood.” Without further warning, Usagi left the village behind. Entering this Holy Grail War meant she was leaving it behind possibly forever. Yet she was determined to return and bring them the glory associated with it.</p><p>--</p><p>	Usagi would arrive at her destination in the Far North of Norway. The brother clan that her father instructed her to meet with were followers of Skadi. Despite the distance, their relationship was quite good. The general atmosphere of the village was merry and joyful, and incredibly welcoming to outsiders. So, one could imagine how they welcomed someone who was effectively a princess.<br/>	“Snow Rabbit! We were told to expect you but not what for!” A large, very large, extremely large, terrifyingly large man welcomed her. Usagi was only roughly 5 feet tall. This man was near 7, and while Usagi appeared almost frail, this man had all the weight to back his size up. The size difference between the two made it feel like a rabbit was chatting up a bear.<br/>	“I was told that my father wanted to exchange his favor. I am going to be participating in-”<br/>	“That one thing with the magic and the heroes. Aye, I can give you what you need. But take a load off, you traveled here from Japan faster than a plane. We have you covered.” He was a gentle giant, reaching down and patting the hooded girl. Between her hood and cloak, the only real distinct feature one was able to make on her was her height.<br/>	“I will take you up on your hospitality.” She relented. In her own way, she was tense about the coming events. Something about this man eased her greatly, though. Her shoulders leaned down as she accepted the headpats. Not that she could really stop the man physically. <br/>	“There ya are. Rabbit, we have just the thing for you. Can you drink yet?” Another man took a pass at her, somehow recognizing her just by how cloaked she was.<br/>	“You don’t need to keep treating me like a child, I am nineteen.” She clicked her tongue in annoyance at this one.<br/>	“Well you shouldn’t stand next to Bjarke if you want anyone to take you seriously. What are you, 1 meter tall?” The man laughed. And was comically kicked in the shin by the small girl, going down on one knee. <br/>	“Taller than you, Bard.” Usagi stated triumphantly as she sat down on his back while he knelt. Were he standing, he was still a good foot taller than her. But in his current state, she was indeed the one with height advantage.<br/>	Suddenly, Bjarke picked up Bard and Usagi with one hand each. “Now now, let’s all be friends here. Bard, go get the relic. I will talk to Stian, see what he can do for us.” The peace made between the two, Bard went off towards the hills with good pace. Bjarke gave guidance to Usagi, finding her a place to stay in the village. No mistakes to be made, this was a village of ninjas also. Just culturally different from her own and most others conception, they hid in plain sight. Every person that was here long enough to be considered a local was a mage and a killer. <br/>	Night came, and Bard returned. He was holding a chain in his hand. Handing it to Bjarke, he went to get some rest after his journey. Bjarke then knocked on Usagi’s door. A magical defense released off the door, and he entered. “Now, the aid promised. Stian gathered the information he could with his seer magic. Your destination is London, you will likely want to meet with the Overseer tomorrow. As for our gifts to you.” He held out the chain. “This is a relic guarded and passed down our lines for generations. We owe this to your father after an event twenty years ago. Additionally, we will supply you with all the tools you need for combat. The finest steel is yours, and our smith is going to be finished with your armaments tomorrow.” Bjarke looked solemnly at her. “Before you leave, I will give you my blessing in the morning as well. Come back alive, alright Snow Rabbit?”<br/>	“I will not fail Bjarke. Thank you.” She lowered her hood. Her hair and skin were white as snow, and her eyes a glittery silver. She looked pure as the fresh fallen snow, and there was an extremely light blue hue in her hair. Bjarke patted her unhooded head once, then left the room. Usagi in turn, put the magical defenses back up before going to sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We are almost done introducing all the masters! For funsies I started putting datasheets together for the Masters and Servants. Some are pretty easy to do but a particular servant is looking to be longer than this work is so far. I figured having datasheets for everyone before the combat chapters are written would help things flow better for me. Should I share the data sheets at some point? Definitely up for consideration. <br/>Something witty... Anyone wanna take a guess who Saber is? You will never see it coming. Really.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 6 - Kallian</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>	A plane touched down in London. Among its many passengers, a short silver haired woman stepped off. She sent a simple text addressed to Alfred. ‘Here’ was all that was written. The girl had landed in the evening, the airport much quieter than its daytime hours. Yet in a blink and you miss it moment, she disappeared from view. Hidden from much of public eye, a shadow darted from area to area, leaving the airport entirely.<br/>
Kallian Dark, an assassin from Canada. Very little was known about her at all even amongst mages. Her family was found dead in their estate with their crest not passed on at all. The killer had yet to be found, and it is surmised that Kallian was working to find the killer herself ever since. Regardless, she was extremely proficient with her craft. Manipulation of shadows.<br/>
Her craft was irregular and unknown by any other than those that directly worked with her. And even if they knew her methods, they didn’t know exactly how it worked. Yet she moved shadow to shadow as though it were natural. Normal people couldn’t notice the blur that was her shadow, and a Mage wouldn’t notice either as long as they weren’t looking for her.<br/>
-<br/>
After dashing through the city for a few minutes she reached the forest on the city’s edge. And from there, she went further to reach Zan Castle. There, she came out of the fence’s shadow and waited. A maid opened the gate and bowed, and with no words exchanged she entered. Kallian was as blank a slate as the maids. Alfred, who was of the lazier variety, was at a loss when she entered. “Welcome, welcome. Apologies for the mess,” he greeted her, not exactly the most distinguished family head. And it was indeed a mess. Supply boxes were scattered around and many scribbles were on the ground of the grand reception room.<br/>
“This is a summoning circle. But you haven’t finished yet. Maybe if you didn’t make it with a twenty five meter radius-”<br/>
“Yeah yeah I know but hey maybe I will summon a bigger servant if I use a bigger circle, right?”<br/>
“You are an idiot, right.” Kallian was very offhand with roasting him.<br/>
“At least pull punches a little bit…”<br/>
“You didn’t call to ask me to assist you, did you?” She asked. Her tone was unmoving, as was her facial expression. It was as though she was incapable of emotion, though she clearly had some level of a mood based upon how she was so quick to verbally abuse Alfred.<br/>
“Well that would be what I preferred. But I figured there would be a better way to assist me. You want to participate, do you not?” He asked in return.<br/>
“You would die if I did. Not the worst loss.”<br/>
“I asked you to pull your punches a little bit. And that isn’t guaranteed. I have a proposal.” He stated and paced up to Kallian. He was much taller. He was only slightly taller than average but Kallian was much shorter than average. “Participate in the war. And rather than aid me, we simply do not attack each other. Simple enough?”<br/>
“And what if we are the last two?”<br/>
“It is a war. Do what you must if it comes to that, you know I will.” Alfred shrugged.<br/>
“Very well. Let us avoid seeing each other until then.”<br/>
“Confident that you will make it until then?”<br/>
“If someone like you is participating I have little to fear.” She withdrew into her own shadow and left, all her sass going with her.<br/>
-<br/>
Kallian would resurface in the Clock Tower’s library. There, she would see a man in a red coat with lengthy black hair, and a hooded woman with silver hair reading next to him. Her eyes flashed with a curiosity. He was reading the books she was looking for. And they had to do with the Holy Grail War. Not staying any longer than she needed to, she disappeared once more.<br/>
Reappearing outside the tower, she began lurking around the city. London was not her home turf, and she had every bit of drive to win inside of her even if it did not register outside. Learning the terrain and her opponents was going to be critical later on. There was just the odd factor she truly couldn’t account for. Servants. Luckily, she had some level of help that she was sure others did not. She found a safe place hidden from view. And then, she used her eyes. Within them was not a magical power, but a psychic one.<br/>
There was a fundamental difference between Magecraft and Psychic powers. For one, her circuits were not taxed in the slightest. Secondly, tracing its use to her was far more difficult using magecraft. And third, it could not be learned no matter how much effort was put in. She was born with this ability, and many others. And with her eyes, she was able to see into the future, towards any result she wanted to achieve. The more vague she was looking into, the more vague the answer her eyes would give her.<br/>
Calculating the future and moves she would need to make to get there, she looked for the servant that could bring her victory. And to that end, she found herself at a museum, where an empty exhibit had a card tucked away. That would be her catalyst. And luckily, breaking and entering was simply entering to her. The ability to become an intangible shadow made such movements rather easy.<br/>
Her vision completed, she went about receiving her prize, still unsure what such a card could summon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We hit 100 views so I am uploading an extra chapter :D Still expect another chapter tomorrow.<br/>I got glasses today, can actually read what I am writing. Good stuff. Can also read other things like the clock, stop signs on the road, and more. But nothing will improve my ability to read the room. Manawing out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 7 - Atlas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Far north of the main city, there was a lake. Beneath that lake slept a fortress. Within that fortress there was a trap door. That trap door led into a Reality Marble. In the Reality Marble time moved much slower than in the outside world, allowing him to get much more work done. This did not grant him immortality, but it did grantly elongate his life span. All of these, the underwater fortress to the workshop within the reality marble was the creation of Atlas. <br/>	A mage of the Atlas Institute, he was ancient yet still appeared youthful. He would likely be the most accomplished mage of the era were he to leave this den of his. For endless years he lived and labored, perfecting his alchemy and ancient technology. He was looking to reach the pinnacle without the assistance of the root. He was the crux of his own magics, and a paragon of the institute he stood for. However, it would come to light that while he was indeed everything Atlas Institute would expect, he was missing one key note.<br/>	Several projects were scattered throughout the fortress. Atlas was relentless. Many of the works were crude, but if one were to fully investigate every one of these creations they were all treasures, perfected one after the other. The only one to admire them was a Homunculus in the underwater fortress. She served as the twentieth in her line. Atlas had long ago mastered the process of making familiars and homunculi. However, making the perfect homunculus had too many drawbacks. An ultimate lifeform devoid of aging and all powerful would have no reason to serve him or follow his orders. Even if he placed a lock of some sort upon them, if he made them impervious and immortal they would live to one day break free of that lock. So, he settled for imperfection on this craft, and she was the twentieth created to maintain the castle.<br/>	Beyond basic cleaning, Twenty was to repel intruders and maintain the bounded field that kept this mage secluded for so long. Yes, not even given a name. Twenty was not treated poorly, but had lived an unimaginably lonely existence, having only met her creator on the few occasions when he came out to place his new creations. She was still young, and had a long life ahead of her yet she had no idea what the outside world was like. <br/>	And today, he would come out again. Atlas stepped out, a shocking blue haired man that was lean and lanky. His hair was a disheveled mess that was clearly maintained by himself. <br/>	“Welcome back Master.”<br/>	“Twenty. See to it that this reached the front gate.” He smiled gently at her, simply proud of his work. What was the work? Only he could answer, but Twenty would not ask. It was a gargoyle. A true gargoyle. It would come to life at his order and was a deadly, nigh unkillable beast. He had many such creations but this was a truly magnificent feat. And further, Atlas had mass produced them. Twenty could count eighteen that he brought out.<br/>	Following the order she was given, Twenty placed the fearsome creatures along the walls and gates of the fortress. There were many contraptions that she was unsure of the function of, as they were far from orthodox, but she began to wonder if every brick had a different function at one point. The entire building was instilled with Atlas’s being. Every hall was decorated with technology. She had believed that given time in his chamber, he would accomplish whatever he wanted really. And then, it happened.<br/>	“Well well well. Well. It appears that the Mage’s Association has started using technology. But they haven't learned to encrypt anything yet!” He talked to himself. Likely a habit from having no one else to communicate with, but if he was asked why he did so he would respond with: For intelligent conversation. “The Holy Grail War is happening again. In London?! Twenty!”<br/>	“Yes Master?”<br/>	“Head to the surface. I need you to run some errands for me.”<br/>	“Yes Mast- What?” The artificial being was stunned.<br/>	“Head to the surface. I need you to run some errands for me. You should have better hearing than me, you know.” He chuckled.<br/>	“Right away.” She was about to dash off.<br/>	“Hold it!”<br/>	She turned, smiling and excited.<br/>	“You can have fun while you are up there but don’t forget we need to stay in contact.”<br/>	“Yes Master!” She was so excited. She ran to the front gate immediately. She looked up at the bounded field that kept the fortress in its bubble. And without hesitation, jumped off the bridge and out of the bubble. For her, this was going to be the best day ever. Atlas, however, grinned. <br/>	“Finally, my chance.” There are several issues that need to be unpacked with Atlas. To begin with, his view on technology. Most Mages avoid technology as it is foreign to them, and considered almost heretical. However there was a written theory by many mages that one day, technology would reach a point that surpassed magecraft, and would then render it obsolete. Atlas went to the next level to demonstrate it. His branch of magic that was all his own was Technomancy. A mixture of technology and magecraft to reach new heights. And with no limits in place he was free to climb so high over the years. His theory was that with the aid of technology, Magecraft would reach new heights entirely, and eventually reach an apex that neither technology nor Magecraft would reach. <br/>	Next, came his paragon status. What was he missing as an Atlas mage? Atlas himself was an epitome of all but one thing. He specialized in thought acceleration, and believe the body was a tool to use the mind more effectively. Atlas additionally had great sense for measurement and an affinity with machinery. And, he was an excellent alchemist, if not the greatest. Further, based on all the creations around, he indeed followed the creed. ‘We do not need to be the strongest. We only need to make the strongest.’<br/>	What he was missing still was simple. Atlas Institute predicted that the world was going to end. So, Atlas Mages secluded themselves in study, creating weapons that could prevent the end of the world. But, those weapons were then discarded, as they were weapons that could also be used to end the world themselves. Atlas did not discard his projects. And he didn’t want to just create them. <br/>	“It is time to use everything. And reach the apex I theorized.” Atlas laughed heartily feeling that this war would see his dream reach its conclusion. He sat down in the central room, the throne room of the fortress. “All my life has been for this moment. With the servant I summon, my goal will be reached.” With a wide smile, the fortress began to hum to life. As though every brick was alive.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Naming this character Atlas is incredibly confusing in hindsight. It will be less so in the future with the Atlas Institute established though. Probably. Gonna be a lot of "The Son, the planet, or me" jokes. Hope you guys enjoy the double upload, Manawing out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 8 - Lana</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Holy Church. An organization with roots as deep in the Moonlit World as the standard. While they view magecraft inherently as heresy, they do still acknowledge its existence while practicing their own sacraments. The balance was precarious, Maguses viewing the Church as a hostile force and the Church viewing Maguses as heretics who will burn in purgatory. That said, there was no open war between them. Simply that they would quarrel with each other given any opportunity.<br/>	And needless to say, when an object with the name of the “Holy Grail” comes up, they will have some interest in the root of the manner. Designating an Overseer for the war was one of their duties, yet they were given no warning themselves. In a rush, they informed the head of the nearest branch to do the honors. Lana happened to be the one in this position. She departed for the Clock Tower first, and was naturally receiving dirty looks and whispers. Her black overcoat and black robe were contrasted by her silver hair and blue eyes. The cross around her neck was additionally silver. She smiled warmly at the man approaching her.<br/>	“Lord El-Melloi.” She bowed respectfully.<br/>	“The Holy Church representative, Lana Mary.”<br/>	“You know of me? I am flattered, Lord.” Her smile seemed genuine. “And who is this?” She motioned gently to the hooded figure behind him.<br/>	“This is Gray, my assistant. It would be difficult to not hear of you in my line of work. To be honest, I don’t know if the Church could have sent anyone better than the Peacekeeper.” He admitted.<br/>	Lana was known for her more liberal stance towards magecraft. Normally this would be frowned upon by the Church and she would never have moved up. However her ability as a judge and executor was beyond belief. If anything, she seemed less human than those she hunted for the Church. While her stance against magecraft was open minded, she did not practice it, and additionally she maintained a devout and just mindset.<br/>	“Naturally, I am only familiarizing myself with the participants, though it seems the formality is unnecessary with you. You have already participated after all.” Her eyes scanned over the man and his assistant. “Do you need a refresher? It has been some time.”<br/>	“No need. Do be careful, the Overseer in my war ended up like the participants.”<br/>	“I have no intent to end up like Risei. Though I do thank you for the word of caution.” She turned and began stepping away. “Find me at the Church if you need me. I do believe I will be holed up there for some time.”<br/>	Waver Velvet turned to return to his work. He was close to making a breakthrough here, and he felt more confident in the neutrality of the war with Lana here.</p>
<p>	Lana continued on her way to the Church when she stopped. Looking over to the side, she smiled. “Does a superstar like you really have the time to bother clergy?” Her sharp blue eyes met deep red eyes and a grin.<br/>	“Don’t be like that, I am still a girl behind all that jazz.” Elenaria responded playfully while stepping up. <br/>	“A girl and an assassin. You could greet me via familiar like I am sure everyone else is planning to, I do not believe I need to tell you the repercussions for attempting-”<br/>	“Whoa whoa whoa no! Not that, I really was just enjoying the air when I saw you. I am not that bold.”<br/>	“Some of your performances suggest otherwise.” Lana’s tone was cold. “My reports didn’t make you out to be a liar however, just reckless.”<br/>	“I should visit the guy that made that report and show him just how reckless I am. I won’t bother you further though Peacekeeper. We are all busy right now.”<br/>	“Indeed. See that you don’t get yourself killed before everything begins.”<br/>	“I know, I know. Midnight next week, I can respect your rule to wait until then.” The war would not formally begin until the announced date. Participants could naturally ignore such a rule as they could any other, but the time could be just as well spent preparing. It was believed that if a participant was killed before the start, the Grail would simply select a new participant to fill their role, making it wasted effort for a premature start.<br/>	Elenaria gave a short wave and departed. Lana in turn smiled, and continued back to the Church. That girl was too outgoing for her own good. Lana reached her small church that would be her home for the foreseeable future. The clergy were evacuated to new locations until the war subsided. Only those in the know should be at this location now. She went to her upstairs room and unpacked her belongings. She was relatively minimalist, with a few changes of clothes and holy artifacts. She peered out her window, surveying the surroundings. It was then that in the distance, she saw an unfamiliar glow. And every part of her instinct could tell her what was to come next.</p>
<p>	Ignia in her small countryside home was quite keen to get started on the summoning. She went outdoors, and began drawing the magical circle using melted silver. She bit down on the tip of her finger to draw blood, and let it drip into the circle as well. At the center of the circle was the manuscript for the original Alice in Wonderland. She doubted there was a single other servant that would respond to her blood and such a catalyst. And then, she began the chant.<br/>	“Silver and blood to the origin. <br/>	Fire and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.<br/>	The alighted wind becomes a wall.<br/>	The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.<br/>	Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill.<br/>	Repeat five times.<br/>	Simply shatter once filled.<br/>	I declare here that your body be connected with my will, and my fate with your sword.<br/>	An oath shall be sworn here, submit to the beckoning of the Grail.<br/>	I shall become the Justice that stands against the dominions of hell. From the seventh heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!”<br/>	And thus, was the first servant summoned in front of Ignia Carroll.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I didn't feel like waiting til midnight to upload. I dont think anyone is going to complain right?<br/>Expect a surprise next week.</p>
<p>The servant summoning has finally started, some summons might be obvious while others will not be. I don't intend to keep you in suspense for too many chapters though, you should know everyone's true names early on, what they have up their sleeves can still be a mystery.</p>
<p>Something witty... Not particularly witty but this anime season is crazy. Anyone else feel drowned? Just me?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 9 - The First Summon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ignia deeply exhaled. The summoning circle was drawn at her front yard. She pondered over her work without a care in the world, she never had visitors or passerbys in her location. A simple bounded field that didn’t repulse others, but kept those that weren’t aware of it far and away through a simple lack of interest. There really was nothing special here, that was part of the charm of her small home to her though. And, when it came to making preparations for a war in secret it came as one of its best qualities.<br/>
The circle was drawn with silver mixed with her blood. Despite the mixture, the melted silver retained the majority and it's beautiful color. The circle was neat and tidy, it was a wonder that someone as impatient as Ignia managed to draw it. Upon closer inspection, there were some parts that were rushed. At least, that is what one could assume happened knowing the girl’s temperament. And with only the vague book that she had for guidance, who could blame her for being a little hasty on parts of the circle that weren’t made clear. Still, from a distance the circle looked complete and well made.<br/>
Just to be sure though, she thought, and did a slice to her finger. A single drop of blood dripped into the center of the circle before she began the chant. After that drop fell, her wound was already healed.<br/>
“Silver and blood to the origin.<br/>
Fire and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone…”<br/>
So on and so forth the chant continued, the gathering of mana increasing to an apex.<br/>
“I shall become the Justice that stands against the dominions of hell. From the seventh heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!” Ignia’s loud voice rang out as none expected what came next.<br/>
A chair was positioned at the opposite end of the summoning circle. The chair was made from some dark colored stone and was indeed an ornate throne. However the stone appeared cut at the head, making it shorter and more fit to the one sitting in it now. A dark brown haired girl with length left unchecked, growing far down to the ground. Her head had a hairband in it, and her eyes held a blue light. At her side was a sword, and those glowing eyes looked directly at Ignia. “Well isn’t this a familiar sight?” A young voice spoke. It was condescending and snide, full of discontent. “And I take it you are to be my Master? You are unworthy of the position. Kneel.”<br/>
Ignia smiled despite the young girl’s provocation. “I am Ignia Carroll. I am to be your Master, Alice Liddell.”<br/>
The girl hopped up from her seat. “I have not been called by that name in a long time. And that family name is the only thing keeping your head on your shoulders, impertinent brat.” She smiled. It seemed as though she took a liking to having a Master that didn’t serve her beck and call here. “I am the Caster servant, and if you dare refer to me as your Servant your war will end the moment after. However, in honor of your name, I shall allow you to call yourself my Master. Feel honored, Miss Carroll.”<br/>
“You are every bit as described by my late ancestor, Caster.” Ignia smiled happily.<br/>
You see, the first rendition of Alice in Wonderland was indeed a darker tale. For while Lewis Carroll was able to witness Alice’s journey, the girl never managed to make her return. That was no way to end a story, and so Lewis penned the ending the world knew. This was Caster. Alice Liddell, not the girl who went on a dreamlike adventure, but the girl who was swallowed by it and not returned. And this teenage girl, darkened and warped by the experience, is the result.<br/>
“A shame I never got to return. The power I gained is something else you know.”<br/>
“I know quite well. I only wish it could have been documented further, and of course that you could have returned.” Ignia explained. She was quite the fan of the original work, to the point that of any summon she could have gone for she indeed summoned the little girl.<br/>
“It is best for all that I did not. Though given this attempt to have a wish granted, I do not mind wandering through a new Wonderland. Shall we begin, descendant of Carroll?” She wasted no time demonstrating the awesome power that servants possessed. And then, what Lana was able to see all the way from her view in her small church.<br/>
The countryside was picturesque, ideal for background imagery in many movies. So picture the Overseer’s surprise when the grass changed to be a shade of purple. From the clear amount of magical energy being gathered, she already knew what was happening, but neither Lana nor Ignia expected Caster to create an entire castle in a single minute during the night. Yet that is exactly what appeared. Soldiers shaped like cards wandered within the grounds away from peering eyes, and elite soldiers fashioned after chess pieces stood atop the walls. All centered around the cut throne that Caster was summoned from.<br/>
“I would like to see who dares assail us now, let their attacks be swift and many. Shall they attempt to harm a hair on your brow, my Wonderland is open to any.”</p><p>	Ignia was shocked well and truly. She wandered the massive castle that her countryside had become after reinforcing her bounded field. Any half baked mage could see through the disguise, but she was concerned with this castle not becoming DisneyLand. Anyone who saw would have thought it was a new tourist attraction, at the very least this would keep curious onlookers away.<br/>
But that said, Ignia was a curious onlooker herself this moment, and explored the stone castle that was her new residence. The castle was wondrous in unorthodox ways. The suits of armor that decorated the halls would kneel as she passed, for starters. The banners waved, literally, as she strolled forward. There was no waiting staff, but there were fairies of all sorts darting around. Ignia paused a moment to inspect them. They were closer to pixies in nature than actual fairies, and they seemed a little darker as though to reflect the owner of this castle. She thought all in all that this was… more normal than a Castle out of Wonderland. She moved to the throne room where Caster sat, a wide smile across her face.<br/>
“What do you think? Is my territory not magnificent?” She asked her Master. Despite the power difference between the two, Ignia was almost a solid two feet taller than the teenage girl, who was only a bit above four feet tall.<br/>
“It is… Quite powerful a move indeed though it is more normal than I thought.”<br/>
“Ah, don’t you worry about that. If I could summon up all the defenses that easily this world would not be able to contain me. This is the bare minimum of what I can accept. And if I summoned the entire territory, your bounded field could not have held it.”<br/>
“So you did notice that before you summoned this castle, that is a relief.” And here Ignia thought young Alice was trying to reveal the mysteries of the world to all.<br/>
“... Yes, I absolutely noticed that before and not during. Praise my observation further, daughter of Carroll.”<br/>
Ignia paused a moment and sighed. Her servant was quite childish, both in revealing her meaning so easily and wishing for praise on such minute details rather than the truly amazing work they did. Nonetheless, Ignia was happy to pat the girl on her head, which elicited a small giggle from her partner. “You truly are his daughter, he used to pat me the same way. Such memories, I may wish to stroll through the city one evening.”<br/>
“I could likely arrange that.” Ignia responded with a gentle smile.<br/>
“I doubt you could have stopped me, though the assistance is indeed welcomed.”</p><p>	The child had no form of real supervision or monitoring for far too many years. Ignia could only wonder what the true effect of that land had upon young Alice. She was clearly arrogant and unruly, yet she maintained much of the proper teachings of her mother as well. Ignia could only ponder what the other Servants would be like. Most legends wouldn’t be quite this young.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello hello~ We are finally getting to the summons! So you may be wondering what the surprise I mentioned last week is. Did you figure out what it is? You will probably figure it out really fast.</p><p>With that surprise though I need to be really witty tonight. Unfortunately I cannot think of any jokes right now. I apologize :c<br/>Instead, just gonna talk about other anime I guess. Watched the first arc of Great Pretender yesterday. What a ride. Manawing out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 10 - Reunion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This is it.” Waver motioned Gray to stand back. He had no grand audience despite being the Clock Tower representative. After all, even if he was representing them in this war he was representing his own wishes as well. They would not so openly show their favor. A summoning circle was created, using chicken blood. Truly the material was inconsequential, and Waver had recreated the image as though he made it yesterday. Outdoors in a forest, with an altar and a piece of cloth upon it, and a circle drawn in blood. He was much younger the last time he did this. He had replayed the scene in his head, and remembered how floored he was literally and figuratively when he saw the figure of his servant.<br/>	He found the solution to his problem. It was so simple that he had mentally beat himself for not realizing sooner. He could not be one hundred percent certain that the method would work, based solely upon how simple this solution was. Yet it was the only and best lead he had.<br/>	“Yes, sir.” Gray stepped back, wondering herself what would come from this summoning. She heard his name from Waver’s sister. Iskandar the Conqueror. Alexander the Great. That was his servant in the war that he was trying to summon once more. The details she received were few however, and with how much she looked up to her teacher she truly wished to meet the one who affected him so greatly. It was clear that his life was changed not by the events of the war, but by the one he fought beside in it.<br/>	The Lord wanted a smoke before starting the summoning, but like an eager child he was afraid of doing anything to ruin the occasion. And so, he ungloved his hand, revealing command seals that he had received. They were in the same shape that he had before, and he could only smile gently. Such a sight was something Gray, in turn, smiled upon. And then, he began his chant.<br/>	“Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill.<br/>	Repeat five times.<br/>	But destroy each when filled.<br/>	A base of silver and steel.<br/>	A foundation of stone and the Archduke of Contracts.<br/>	A wall to block the falling wind.<br/>	The gates of all four directions close.<br/>	From the crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the Kingdom.<br/>	I hereby propose.<br/>	That my will create thy body,<br/>	And thy sword will create my fate.<br/>	Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail,<br/>	If thou dost accede to this will and reason, answer me!<br/>	I hereby swear.<br/>	That I will be all that is good in the eternal world.<br/>	I will be the disposer of evil in the eternal world.”<br/>The circle was glowing, and the winds picked up violently in the area. This was it. What took him so long to research.<br/>	“Then remember my name and voice, recall your time spent on Gaia.<br/>	My wish shall guide you towards the path of victory”<br/>An additional two lines. That was all it would take, hopefully. While the chant was largely unimportant, and nearly every part of the summoning unnecessary, every part was also important. To clarify, anyone could summon a heroic spirit with the grail doing most of the heavy lifting for them. However by adding specific parts to the chant, using specific catalysts and materials, you can greatly specify the servant summoned. From the class to age they were summoned at, everything was a variable that could be made into a control with the proper knowledge. But, he still needed to finish the chant.<br/>	“Thou clad with the Great Trinity, come forth from the circle of constraint.<br/>	Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!”<br/>	A bright light flashed and in front of the pair was a tall red haired man of incredibly bulky size stood in the circle. His majesty was apparent with the fine cloak and armor he wore. Lightning seemed to surge where his feet touched, and his beard alone seemed to have seen more combat than an entire man would in their lifetime. Rugged was not a word that did enough justice for him. Yet his mere appearance could be considered inspiring.<br/>	The one that summoned him appeared dumbfounded. Waver Velvet stood at this familiar scene for a moment before an innocent smile touched his lips. Gray too was in awe of what she saw. Her teacher fought alongside him?<br/>	“How long has it been boy? It seems you took my advice.” A wide smile that was just as innocent as the Master’s touched the Servant’s face. This joyous reunion was not met with tears but smiles.<br/>	“Yes, I--”<br/>	“20 Centimeters. You definitely should be taken seriously by those who looked down on you before.” The large man was referring to Waver’s height. When Waver participated before he only wished to gain the recognition of those who mocked him. A wish of a naive and young child of a magus. Yet now, he attained that without making a wish on the device.<br/>	“Ah. Yes, I suppose that did happen too.” Waver let out a soft chuckle. After his chuckle there was a short pause between the two. “It is good to see you again, old friend. Rider.” He addressed him by his class.<br/>	“And I you. I never thought we would have such a chance. And normally, there would be no way for me to remember you. What magic did you learn while I was in the Throne you rascal?” Iskandar laughed and gave a hearty pat on the back to his Master, who was knocked forward by the force. <br/>	“It wouldn’t have been quite right otherwise, would it?”<br/>	“True enough!” It was now that he looked to the apprentice. “And who is this?”<br/>	“M-My name is Gray?!” Gray answered, or asked, too startled to pick one. She kept her hood up, bashful, and bowed politely. “I have heard much about what you have taught Teacher!”<br/>	His laugh echoed through the forest in response. “It is good to see that he spread my legend even after my second passing. Say, come to think of it, it seems the King of Heroes spared you. You will need to fill me in on that later boy. But it would be rude to not introduce myself.” He faced Gray directly. “I am the Rider Class servant, summoned to my one and only Master. Iskandar, King of Conquerors. And I will bring you the victory you seek.”<br/>	“The victory we seek this time is yours, Rider. My wish of the last war already came true.”<br/>	“Did it now?! It seems we do have much to catch up on!” He began striding toward the city. “Where are we this time?”<br/>	“My home, London. Nearly on the other side of the world from where you were summoned prior.”<br/>	“Wonderful! New lands to explore and conquer. I look forward to seeing how you have grown as well, boy.”<br/>	Waver walked next to Rider, and led the way towards the city. “We have much to do, so it is best we get started.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The surprise I promised! Seven days of the week and seven servants to summon~ Daily uploads for the next week! Do enjoy them, I can't do this too often~</p><p>Something witty... I got nothing this time. Thanks for sticking with me til now, I hope I don't disappoint.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 11 - Fated Shadows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kallian inspected the museum. It had been only a couple days since her vision yet she was rather keen on her information gathering. If someone so brazenly flaunted their servant outside the city, she would notice. She didn’t dare approach it without a servant of her own. The card that she saw was within one of the exhibits, which naturally meant she couldn’t just go into the glass display and take it so brazenly. Now however it was night, and this was her moment. She slinked into her own shadow, and the shape crawled into the building.<br/>	There was a night watchman, yet he was not prepared for her. She came out of his shadow and rendered him unconscious. Leaving a body could leave a hint to a more astute master. Though, she wasn’t exactly sure what she was getting either, so someone else piecing it together was nigh impossible. But caution was something she exercised in excess. The watchman disabled, she was free to slink back into her shadow and into the exhibit. <br/>	She did her research, this wing particularly had been around since early times, and contained works that had not moved since their placement here, which is peculiar for their worth. Normally such exhibits would move at least once in their lifetime. Slipping into the display was as simple as sliding into its shadow for her, and she claimed the card within. She would inspect it more closely later, Kallian could never find a time to be too careful. <br/>	Out of the building, she reemerged in an alleyway. It was then that she inspected the card. The name she saw upon it caused her to widen her eyes slightly, while maintaining her otherwise stone cold expression. This was indeed a treasure, though the one who left it there likely never thought it so. The fact it wasn’t found until now was nothing short of miraculous. She inspected the Command Seals upon her hand briefly, then went back into her shadow. The Clock Tower would have their eyes out for Masters not affiliated with them by now, making it unsafe to summon anywhere in the city. They likely already traced her to the city and were looking for her. She would give them no free tools to use against her. <br/>	Quick movements were her trademark, and she arrived at a clearing outside the city. Curiously, it seemed someone had done a summoning her not long ago. She probably only missed them by hours. Kallian looked more intently at the scene. The summoning circle was similar to what she was about to use, and there was an altar. This was likely used to summon a servant, and she was echoing their movements. Why here? The question lingered in her mind. This area wasn’t anywhere special, so barring special meaning to an individual there would be no reason to summon here. This could work to Kallian’s advantage though. The Clock Tower would likely see it as a misreading if there were two summons in the same area. She stretched out her shadow and reformed the magical circle. Time was of the essence. She threw the card with dexterity, landing perfectly upon the altar. The name was clear under the moonlight.<br/>	“Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill.<br/>	Repeat five times.<br/>	But destroy each when filled.<br/>	A base of silver and steel.<br/>	A foundation of stone and the Archduke of Contracts.<br/>	A wall to block the falling wind.<br/>	The gates of all four directions close.<br/>	From the crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the Kingdom.<br/>	I hereby propose.<br/>	That my will create thy body,<br/>	And thy sword will create my fate.<br/>	Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail,<br/>	If thou dost accede to this will and reason, answer me!<br/>	I hereby swear.<br/>	That I will be all that is good in the eternal world.<br/>	I will be the disposer of evil in the eternal world.<br/>	Thou clad with the Great Trinity, come forth from the circle of constraint.<br/>	Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!”<br/>	A bright light engulfed the area before receding. A dapper figure held the card between his fingers. A top hat adorned his head and a monocle adorned his right eye. Well dressed and lean figured, and rather tall, he bowed politely. <br/>	“Good Evening Miss. Had I more time to prepare I could have procured a flower in your honor. Though what good gentleman could not introduce himself to such a charming lady? My name,” he extended his hand, the calling card in it. “Is Arsene Lupin. A pleasure, milady. May I be so bold as to ask, are you my Master?”<br/>	“Arsene…” Kallian repeated back. “My name is Kallian Dark. We have little time to waste.”<br/>	“Only just summoned and making a daring escape? You needn’t worry milady, we can take an evening stroll.” He extended his hand tenderly, the calling card nowhere to be seen in some sleight of hand.<br/>	“I don’t stroll much. How quickly can you move?”<br/>	“I dislike such a lack of pleasantries.” Was his response.<br/>	“After. How quick can you move?” Kallian was short with him. Her caution could be one reason why she always worked alone. Such insistence upon it could grate one’s patience.<br/>	“I am confident in my ability to lose a pursuit. Shall I carry you?”<br/>	“Not in the way you think.” She moved into her own shadow, and that shadow went into Arsene’s. Telepathically, she continued. “Take us to safety, my gallant servant.”<br/>	“On our way then. What a nifty trick you have.” He in turn responded telepathically.<br/>	“I can explain it later.”<br/>	“You misunderstand. I would like to surmise my own conclusions before you spoil the answer, Miss Dark.” He smiled, his moustache moving upwards slightly as he made a dash through the forest. Despite his immense speed, not a single piece of clothing seemed to shuffle, and his hat stayed upon his head.<br/>	“Works for me.” She welcomed having intelligent company that didn’t pry.</p>
<p>Not long later, the sun was rising over London, and they were in a back alley. <br/>	“There seems to be no surveillance here, my Master.”<br/>	“Thank you. Time is still as short as ever. What class are you?”<br/>	“I am summoned before you as an Assassin, my fair lady. My turn then. Why is time short?”<br/>	“I do not fare well in the daytime.”<br/>	“A cost for your more unique magecraft?”<br/>	“You figured out what my pursuers have failed to in less than an hour.”<br/>	“You honor me. Besides, you gave me half the answer.” He removed his hat and bowed. “Need I wake you, my darling owl?”<br/>	“If we are in danger, carry me. I don’t think a divinity could put me to fighting shape after waking.”<br/>	“Sleep well then. You shall not find danger here.” He spoke with confidence. As the light touched upon Kallian, her silver hair receded to a dark brown. Her eyes lost their unique coloring of purple turning to an innocent brown. “Such a dramatic change indeed.”<br/>	“I can still function, but I cant use my magecraft without shadows.”<br/>	“Then do you not have plenty to work with during the day?” Arsene questioned.<br/>	“During the night the whole world is my shadow. During the day I have far less to work with. Additionally I lose most of my magical energy, so it isn't as potent. There are exceptions.”<br/>	“Such as caves?”<br/>	“Or a large enough creature that can block out the sun. With that large of a shadow I can fight as though it were night, and with that much of a shadow to work with I might be even stronger.”<br/>	“I truly have a fascinating Master. I shall pry no more milady, rest well.”<br/>	With a nod, Kallian would do just that. Going into the corner of the alley, she leaned back and closed her eyes. This makeshift base would need to do for now. If Assassin said it was safe, it likely would be. He wouldn’t need to sleep so he would make a fine watchman. And so the dawn of a new day began, with more to come.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Happy Valentine's Day~ Continuing the daily uploads for a full week with part three!</p>
<p>I had fun with this pair! Here is hoping they are fun to follow. Assassins tend not to do very well in wars. Sure would be a shame if that trend continued.</p>
<p>Something witty... Not exactly witty but Kallian feels like my spirit animal with her sleep schedule. Manawing out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 12 - Concert</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Elenaria walked into the basement of her luxurious hotel. Barring some support pillars, this storage area was something she had clear for the purpose of her summoning. She smiled a bit as she got to work. Despite the tedium of setting up the massive circle, she was ecstatic at such entertainment. “If I use a bigger circle can I summon a bigger servant?” The sibling echoed her brother’s earlier thought unknowingly. “Actually no, that doesn’t make much sense. Servants are still human right? Or at least were.” <br/>	She moved quickly, drawing the circle with melted silver that hardened as it was drawn. She placed herself in the center of what was a rather ornately drawn circle, sparing no effort at this stage. Several greater glyphs were drawn around the outer circle, with minor glyphs drawn within. She was pouring a bit of mana into the silver as she drew as well, not too much though. If Elenaria were to complete the summon she still needed enough to anchor them. <br/>	At long last however, the circle was complete. At an altar at the north end of the circle, the tablet was placed. And from her center stage, her voice rang out and echoed through the chamber the familiar summoning chant.<br/>	“Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill.<br/>	Repeat five times.<br/>	But destroy each when filled.<br/>	A base of silver and steel.<br/>	A foundation of stone and the Archduke of Contracts.<br/>	A wall to block the falling wind.<br/>	The gates of all four directions close.<br/>	From the crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the Kingdom.<br/>	I hereby propose.<br/>	That my will create thy body,<br/>	And thy sword will create my fate.<br/>	Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail,<br/>	If thou dost accede to this will and reason, answer me!<br/>	I hereby swear.<br/>	That I will be all that is good in the eternal world.<br/>	I will be the disposer of evil in the eternal world.<br/>	Thou clad with the Great Trinity, come forth from the circle of constraint.<br/>	Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!”<br/>A great light filled the storage basement, and then. Nothing. Elenaria tilted her head. “That’s odd. My mana is clearly tethered, and the summon clearly worked without any feedback.” She wasn’t even considering that she failed. As soon as she stepped out of the circle she looked back, and her eyes widened. A large table was centered around the circle in a round shape. And with it, a dark haired man pointed a well made sword downward, cutting through the stone floor with ease and planting firmly within the stone.<br/>	“Woman of the red eyes, I ask of you. Are you our Master?” His voice was surprisingly soft. He was tall, and had a gloomy look in his eyes. His armor was pitch black, contradicting the seemingly divine light his sword held. <br/>	Elenaria smiled wide in reply. “I am Elenaria Zan. Daughter of the Zan family, songstress and idol, and yes, your Master as well. Let us get along.”<br/>	“I am the Saber class servant, and I will fight as your sword so long as your cause is honorable.”<br/>	“Very well Saber. You mind me asking some questions?”<br/>	“I shall honor any question you might have.”<br/>	“Your true name, for starters. I can call you Saber in front of others but I prefer knowing the name of who I work with.” She demanded.<br/>	“I am Lancelot du Lac. Knight of the Lake.”<br/>	“Well, I think I know the answer for my next question then.”<br/>The Round Table in front of Elenaria and behind Lancelot had twenty-five seats. And each one had yet another knight in it. <br/>	“The Round Table. Not just one, but all of you.” Elenaria put it together. And at once every knight stood and lined up, kneeling before their Master. Each one was a Servant in their own class, and each one seemed too powerful for measure. A single one of these had a chance of winning her the war, all of them was her guarantee.<br/>	“All of us serve you, Elenaria Zan.”<br/>	“Call me Elly’len. It is what most people know me by. Make use of this hotel and set it up as you see fit. I will get to know each of you individually.” Even if this many servants could be seen as a free win, a servant was the most effective tool to win this war. And if she wanted to win, she would need to use every tool effectively. Even if there were this many. </p>
<p>	After a long night, Elenaria leaned back in a chair in her penthouse. “I have heard of nearly all of your legends but did you all need to be so varied?”<br/>	“I am sorry?” A blonde knight responded. He wore a cap across his shoulders and had a rather fanciful belt. <br/>	“Do not apologize, Saber. I will only complain about it once. It is a fortunate boon in reality, just a lot of work to manage. Honestly, if more than four of you go into combat at once I risk running out of mana in seconds.” Elenaria was incredibly confident in her strength to support one of these monsters but to power all of them would likely kill the average mage instantly.<br/>	“Our Mana is anchored to the Table, which in turn is anchored to you.”<br/>	“That explains why it isn’t more taxing. But if the Table is destroyed, I become the anchor and things go downhill fast, do they not?”<br/>	“We would not allow such a thing to happen.” He replied swiftly and with steadfast posture.<br/>	“I believe you, Gawain. It is simply a weakness all the same, lets keep it covered as long as we can.”<br/>	“That would be wise. We will defend the Table as we would defend you.”<br/>	“Hey now, I might not be a match for you lot but I am pretty confident in protecting myself otherwise.”<br/>	“A woman should not be brought to such measures.”<br/>	“And here I thought Lancelot was the flatterer!”<br/>	“I wish you would not compare me to him.”<br/>Elenaria smiled lightly and looked out her window. She would take the rest of her measures now that she knew what she was working with. A sudden thought occurred to her.<br/>	“Ah, I do have a concert tomorrow. Would you like to be my bodyguards?” She asked back to her knight. <br/>	“I thought you could protect yourself, Master. Likewise, shouldn’t you be laying low?”<br/>	“The Clock Tower already knows about my participation, the more public I am the harder it is for them to make a shady move towards me. And don’t throw my words back at me.” She giggled happily. Being raised by assassins left her more than capable of protecting herself, and being a high end mage on top of that. However this was her precaution against enemy servants. “If anyone attempts on my life during the show, I am counting on you to let the show go on.”<br/>	“You only needed to ask.”</p>
<p>Elsewhere in the hotel, Lancelot stood next to another knight with brown hair and radiant armor. Additionally, a silver haired knight stood with them. “Percival, Galahad, what do you make of this Master?” he would ask.<br/>	“She is young but seems rather gifted. Particularly in observation and planning. After only learning our names and basic parameters she grouped us efficiently and with mind to our mannerisms.”<br/>	“Mannerisms?”<br/>	“She did not put you on a squad with Gawain.”<br/>	“Ah.” Lancelot could not come up with a reply to that. Gawain was still bitter towards Lancelot for many reasons. In life, he even refused the Knight of the Lake’s aid in suppressing Mordred, which led to the fall of Camelot. Now, he still refused to work with him, but would at least accept his aid in the war overall. Both knights were glad for their Master’s lenience.<br/>	“I suppose a foolish Master could have marched us all out to claim victory in one attempted swoop.” Galahad chimed in. His voice was cool and collected. It did lack some emotion, but was not entirely devoid of it. “I feel uneasy not knowing her wish for the Grail, however.”<br/>	“It is not our place to question our leader. We are knights, Galahad.”<br/>	“Even our King?” Arthur was summoned as well, naturally.<br/>	“Even our King is honoring chivalry and has sworn to be her knight.”<br/>	“So long as she remains honorable I have no qualms fighting for her. Should we begin with the task assigned to us?”<br/>	Percival nodded. “It will be an honor to see Father and Son fight together.”<br/>	Lancelot smiled gently. “Indeed. It feels as though we are as united as our King initially wished for us to be, so whatever wish she fights for, I am glad for this chance to fight alongside everyone once more.”<br/>	The Knights would depart from the hotel, adorning well made suits that likely cost a good amount of money. Why Elenaria had Men’s Suits on hand is up to anyone’s imagination.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Continuing the the daily uploads for a bit longer still~ This servant sheet is incredibly long for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>Something witty... Are you sick of seeing the summoning chant yet?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 13 - I Shall Hold Thy Chains</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Usagi reached the mainland from the north without incident. She made her way towards London with great efforts taken to move stealthily. Unlike the others, she had made her summon prior to her arrival on site. The hope was that this would make her harder to locate. A cloaked figure dashing through wooded areas, she was very much living up to the reputation of common media ninjas. Beside her there was a toothy grinned figure. Ordinary eyes could not see her servant, as they were traveling in a spirit form. <br/>	“Faster, faster! Towards our prey!” A female voice. It was somewhat deep, and her movement was less silent than her Master’s. It was accompanied by the jingling of chains.<br/>	“Berserker, may I remind you that we are almost there and we are doing reconnaissance, not hunting. Stealth is key.”<br/>	“When one prowls and takes note of their prey’s habits before striking, that too is the hunt. I will wait for you to unleash me.” There was a note of impatience but Berserker, despite their Class name, was able to see reason.<br/>	Usagi sighed gently, her cool breath fogging the air as she did so. How did she end up like this? The vessel used was perfect.</p><p>	Back in Norway, in the locked room of her Hotel, Usagi committed to the summon with the relic she received. There were no special modifications done to the chant, and the circle was studiously well made. But what awaited her after the chant was far from expectations.<br/>	“I ask of you…” The husky female voice growled more than it spoke. “Are you my Master?” Golden eyes and extremely dark hair. Chains adorning her body rather than clothes. And those ears and that tail. This was not expected by the ninja. “Servant, Fenrir. Responding to your summons. The chase begins.” The woman with wolf like features stood tall. Her arms were bound tightly together by the chains, and further chains adorned her body as though they were clothes. Not to say that it was armor, but as though she was truly restrained.<br/>	“Fenrir. The one who slayed Odin, and… if I recall correctly was the… Son, of Loki.”<br/>	“This era seems to have deficiencies in accepting that. I will not fault you for the mistake, once.”<br/>	“Okay.” Usagi replied coolly. It was not okay at all, though. But the tone clearly implied if she asked further that the pact made between Master and Servant was only writing on paper to this Servant. “May I ask your class?”<br/>	“Using my true name suffices. I am no coward. But if you must know. This vessel is. Berserker.” Her words were still more of a growl. Indeed, her beast-like appearance was a deception. Fenrir truly was a beast.<br/>	“Well then, Berserker. Can you follow me and spirit form?”<br/>	“For what reason are you concealing me so? I wish to begin the hunt.”<br/>	“Information gathering. Rather than attacking headlong, I wish to find out more about our enemies. Can I count on you?”<br/>	Berserker stayed quiet awhile, tapping her foot. She seemed to be thinking. This alone was farther than Usagi expected to get, as the class was known to be afflicted with Madness Enhancement. This enhancement made them one of the stronger classes of the war, but at the cost of their sanity and free thinking. Assuming she was under this enhancement, she was actively resisting it just to think on this question.<br/>	“Very well.”<br/>	“Really?”<br/>	“The hunt happens in multiple stages. I will be near you always. May I have your name? Calling you Master does not… sit well, with me.”<br/>	“You are picking up on common language quickly. I am Usagi Yuki.” Usagi smiled gently, for some reason she felt happy with seeing her servant grow in such a small way.<br/>	“Very well, Usagi. This name makes my mouth water for some reason.”<br/>	Usagi, the ice cold ninja, felt a colder chill roll up her spine. Like a rabbit being eyed by a wolf.<br/>	“Don’t think about it too much. We have to go across the ocean now, if there is anything you notice please ask first before striking.”<br/>	“You impose many restrictions. I will not fight without your command.” Fenrir disappeared, only visible to Usagi and any other Master or Servant now.</p><p>	Cutting back to the present, after Usagi’s trip over the sea. The pair made excellent time despite their attention to stealth, and reaching the main city quietly. “London… It is loud.” Usagi noted this first. Compared to her quiet village, there was a bit of culture shock here.<br/>	“Indeed. There is also much mystery here.”<br/>	“The Mage’s Association is located here, so that is no surprise. Maguses should be around every corner, finding which one is our target is the reason we must do things so quietly.”<br/>	“I am glad to be gifted with such a talented tactician. My thoughts do not go as far as I want them to.”<br/>	Fenrir was a wise wolf that was actually incredibly difficult to deceive in myth. It was through a sacrifice that they managed to restrain her, but even then she broke free during Ragnarok. The Madness Enhancement truly was limiting her thoughts, were she lesser in a mental state the Berserker would live up to its name.<br/>	“Will you be okay when you begin fighting.”<br/>	There was a pause. “I am unsure. It is difficult retaining this much.” Fenrir answered honestly. “I am sure that I will win, though.”<br/>	This was how one of the most deadly pairs began.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Almost done with the daily uploading! It is keeping me busy that's for sure. I am being told I should get an editor. Maybe one day.<br/>I got nothing witty. Manawing out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 14 - The Universal Man</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Atlas had been busy at work while Twenty was out shopping. The throne room of his fortress was meticulously adorned so he could continue his work outside the time chamber. Scientific gadgets and magical contraptions, it seemed that he had a clear goal yet it was entirely possible he was chasing two rabbits and catching neither. Science of this era had not quite reached the point of replacing magecraft, and magecraft was seldom used to the efficiency technology had reached. Yet here he was, attempting to make them work in harmony. In the center of all the tools there was a summoning circle. He spoke out using telepathy.<br/>	“Twenty, return.”<br/>	“Yes, Master Atlas.” The homunculi sounded a little disappointed but was not the type to disobey orders. Atlas had to work quickly now. He was as excited as a child would be, looking forward to introducing his friends to each other. All in all, he was looking forward to meeting his servant more than anyone. Leonardo da Vinci. The Universal Man. The genius of the era. His titles and names could go on and on, but Atlas wanted to see what the man could bring to the table upon seeing his own designs. He did not believe that such a genius would lose hope, but instead be inspired to make something greater. And that is exactly what the alchemist wanted out of the war. To inspire and be inspired by the greatest mind, and finally realize his dream of reaching the peak of technology and magecraft.<br/>	“Everything is clear. I could use a more clear catalyst, but there is nothing to be done about that.” Atlas talked to himself while pacing. Indeed, the original blueprints to Da Vinci’s knight were his catalyst. Surely it wouldn’t summon anyone else, right?<br/>	He began the chant, but his summoning circle was… different. The ground hummed to life as the circle began rotating on multiple levels. The complex circle spun, and twisted on several axes. “A most complicated summon for the most complicated mind!” He laughed heartily as the chant finished, and a bright light appeared. The rotating circles settled and ceased. And in the circle was…<br/>	“My my, dusty. And what is with all those useless moving parts? Best to make them useful rather than wasteful.” A brown haired woman stood. They were quite beautiful, astonishingly so, but this was not the Universal Man.<br/>	“Who… are you?” Atlas was more confused than upset.<br/>	“Da Vinci. I am of the Archer Class.” She was smiling on the outside, yet it was a smile that did not reach her eyes. “Is there a problem with that, Master?” Her intonation and emphasis on that word sent a chill down the spine of the ancient mage.<br/>	“N-None! I knew I couldn’t have failed to summon you!” He laughed heartily, a laugh that would have sounded like an evil cackle to anyone that wasn’t himself. In his own mind though, it was a laugh to shake the heavens.<br/>	“I know I am not what you expected, but…” She peered around, then smiled gently. “You aren’t what I suspected either. This castle is mechanically moving, yet magic is the power source. You are not anything traditional. From what I learned from the Throne, you are something of a heretic. Yet in my eyes this is a blessed yet unpolished work.”<br/>	“UNPOLISHED?!”<br/>	“That is what you took out of that?”<br/>	The Servant giggled joyously, not minding his outburst. The Throne that all servants were summoned from would give knowledge of the current era to the summoned servant. At least, enough to survive without needing to ask about every minute detail.<br/>	“Your work is unpolished. It has the spark of greatness yet it lacks true motion. I will teach you. No, show you. Your way of thinking is ahead of everyone you could call a peer, yet behind my own.” Archer grinned, and two mechanical hands began drawing up a blueprint at the prior prepared table.<br/>	From the Master’s standpoint, he was not upset. He was excited. How long had it been since he did paltry assistant work. Even when he was young over a millenia ago, he was the one who had assistants and not the other way around. Yet he knew he summoned exactly who he wanted, gender aside.<br/>	Twenty would return shortly after and see the two busy at work. Instead of interrupting, she prepared a meal and gently set it at Archer’s side. As she was about to leave. “Girl. You are a homunculus.”<br/>	“Yes. I am number Twenty in the line serving Atlas.” She responded in monotone.<br/>	“You don’t need to act. You developed emotion, did you not? It seems my Master made quite something.” Archer leaned towards the young girl a bit, looking her up and down through a monocled eye. Her robotic arms continued to work on the blueprints.<br/>	“Archer, these plans are complete, but how on Earth will we finish them in time? The war begins in a little under two days.”<br/>	“Worry not, my Master. I will take care of construction and see to it that it is finished in prompt time. What good is a creation that cannot be shown off to the world?!”<br/>	Atlas’s eyes widened. This was his wish. To show the world the peak of Magecraft and Science hybrid research. And with those words he believed he would see it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter is shorter than normal... Uh... excuse... You are short D:&lt;</p>
<p>In seriousness this pair is the setup heavy pair, and will be more explosive when they have chapters showing rather than telling. That said I caught up on my backlog of extra chapters and today was pretty long. Had to deal with the snowstorm in my area, my car was buried qwq<br/>So tomorrow's chapter will be the last of the daily uploads! And I need to start working on it now.</p>
<p>Nothing witty here, thanks a bunch for sticking with me this long. I hope to continue to put out quality chapters for viewing pleasure. I guess a bit of ranting about the fun stuff now. I was gifted Hollow Knight! This game could suck me away if I am not careful, and I don't think I can upload any slower thank weekly. Also I am running campaigns again~! A Fate roleplay over Discord, a Warhammer campaign, and a DnD campaign. And I am writing the plots for more Fate wars! I don't think I am getting a break anytime soon... Manawing out!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 15 - Arrival of the True King</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alfred looked outside. There was only an hour before the war began now. He heard his sister had a concert today, but she would need to forgive him for not making it. His business was now with the massive summoning circle in the entryway of the castle. Time was not wasted. He gave a single command to his maids. “Protect the Castle. Let no familiar or Master witness this.” He had figured out how to instill the vocal commands without losing his motion commands, making things simpler and less awkward for him.<br/>	The maids dispersed, and he began channeling into the circle. The stone tablet that was similar yet different from his sister’s piece was the catalyst. He began his chant that was identical to Elenaria’s. Lightning cracked on the clear evening outside the castle. Alfred felt the weight of this summon as he continued the chant regardless. And upon finishing.<br/>	The brightest light flashed, as though to attempt alerting not just the other participants, but the entire world of what was brought back into it. Heavy armor touched to the ground, and a being holding two gargantuan spears stood. Their armor was entirely unique, and seemed not of this world. The helmet was horned, and entirely covered the Servant’s face. Long hair draped out from behind the helmet, its color as jet black as Alfred’s own.<br/>	“Lancer Servant. Kneel before me, Master. And rejoice in your guaranteed victory.” The voice echoed beneath the helm. It was a woman’s voice.<br/>	Alfred kneeled. He wasn’t one to submit so easily, but her voice held such power and command that he did so without thinking.<br/>	“As the one who kneeled, you are now my Master. I care not for those silly marks. It is for you that I shall bring victory by any means necessary, and see our wish fulfilled.”<br/>	“Our wish?” Alfred hadn’t spoken of his goals at all yet, obviously, they had just met.<br/>	“My wish, which is the wish of the world, and therefore our wish.” She removed her helmet, revealing eyes of deep blue. One could get lost in her eyes once getting past though heavy armor, such was how deep they were. Her voice held a powerful commanding presence, and Alfred played enough games to know the origin of that armor. It was the armor of a dragon. Scaled, heavy, horned, jagged, the clues all pointed to it being so.<br/>	“May I know your true name, Lancer?” Alfred asked slowly, sweating a bit. Just who did he summon?<br/>	“You used a piece of the throne I was killed upon, I figure you would have known. I am Vortigern, and for one to stand against me they must stand as the world. You may rise.” It felt like a weight was lifted from Alfred. It wasn’t that he was too afraid to stand, he simply couldn’t until the command was released.<br/>	“Your voice has a certain weight to it.” Alfred casually tried bringing up that issue.<br/>	“It is something of an authority I have. Pay it no mind, I forget how easily it affects those of this era.”<br/>	“With all due respect, I think it affects those of any era.”<br/>	“Flattery will only get you so far, Master. You asked my name, I would have yours.”<br/>	“Alfred Zan, head of the Zan Assassination Family. Though we aren’t much of a family any more, pretty sure it is just me and the maids.”<br/>	“Those maids are quite devoted. Only the Assassin Servant could likely get past their perimeter.”<br/>	Alfred gulped. She was able to tell all their positions from the entryway? He only felt intimidated before by his sister. If he didn’t clarify that they were his maids, they were likely to have died just now.<br/>	“You have quite sharp senses.” Alfred complimented once more. He was not the best studied but this was typical for Lancers, he thought. The only thing more typical would be speed, but that heavy armor likely reduced that effectiveness sharply.<br/>	“Indeed. Sharp enough to sense that fool of a nephew is here. Let us go, my lances shall taste his blood tonight.” She began to march out of the castle with no time for her Master to think.<br/>	“Hold on hold on hold on!” Alfred attempted calming his servant. Vortigern in turn would stop and raise an eyebrow. “I am meeting with my sister tonight after her concert. Can’t we take care of that after?” The servant seemed displeased. Was she pouting? “The war doesn't start until midnight anyways, officially. I would like to not upset the Overseer before we even really get started.” Finally, the Dark King relented.<br/>	“Very well. I can accept this petition, this time.” Her tone clearly implied such open questioning was not wise.<br/>	“Thank you. I will start getting ready immediately.” Alfred went upstairs. He made finger motions so one of the maids would follow him. “Anything outside?”<br/>	“Miss Kallian has not returned, and your Sister seems to be having a grand time at the concert.”<br/>	“Of course she is. That part of her life is the most important to her after all.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Woo! All servants are summoned and I can stop typing for a day! Soon we get to see what they can do! Next chapter will be longer, and action filled to start the war off with a bang! </p><p>Send help I am in gacha hell. -Manawing</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello~ Manawing here, I am not even sure if I am posting this right. But if you are reading this I either botched it terribly or succeeded wonderfully :D</p><p>This is Sundered Destinies! A short prologue of what is to come before I do regular uploads on it.</p><p>Post Note - I do read feedback and take criticism. And the ending is not set in stone as of yet, even if a storyboard is in place. So please give thoughts and reviews.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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